Combined table and receptacle



April 22 1924.

C. E. TEPPER COMBINED TABLE AND RECEPTACLE Filed May 18, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. (Mk5 Z. 7271,0017

BY s I y M A TTORNEYS.

April 22 1924.

c. E. TEPPER COMBINED TABLE AND R ECEPTACLE Filed May 18 1923 2Sheecs-Sheet 2 us A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.-

CHARLES E. PEPPER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

COMBINED TABLE AND RECEPTAGIIE.

- Application filed May 18, 1923. Serial No. 639,793.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. TEPPER a citizen of the United States,and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CombinedTables and Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a combined table and receptacle andmore particularly to the type in which the table top acts, when thetable is collapsed, to form a receptacle for enclosing the legs andbraces of the table and also for enclosing any other suitable articles.An object of this invention is to provide an improved constructionespecially designed for use by motorists and adapted to be compactlyarranged upon the running board of an automobile. A further object ofthe invention is to provide a construction which will permit theutilization of an intermediate member between the two top members of thetable to increase the capacity of the receptacle. Still another objectof the invention is to provide a. construction in which the top of thetable is formed by two separable members, and a connection is providedbetween the legs of the table independently of said members so that thisconnection will serve as a support :for the center of the table.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts, andcombinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described: thenovel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view showing the combined table and receptacle securedto a step of an automobile;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the top sections, showing two of thelegs folded therein;

Fig. 3 is a bottom perspective view showing the invention set up as atable;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the invention set up as a table;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the top sections, showing one ofthe legs folded and the other in operative position, except that theconnecting section which is pivoted thereto is shown in foldedcondition;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the intermediate section;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofthe joint in the brace between the legand a top section;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the detachable connectionbetween the two members forming the connection between the two legs;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of said detachable connection; and

Fig. 10 is an end view of the invention in folded condition.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, there are provided threereceptacle forming portions 1, 2 and 3, the portions 1 and 2 beingduplicates of each other and being box-like structures with hand grips 4at opposite ends, these two sections being arranged. side by side toform the top of the table as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The section 3is an open frame and may be interposed between the sections 1 and 2, asillustrated in Fig. 1, to provide an enlarged receptacle. In order tohold these members together one of the sections has aligning cornerpieces 5 and the frame section 3 has aligning corner pieces 6, thecorner pieces 5 projecting into the frame 3 and the corner pieces 6projecting into the frame 1. These three members are held together inany suitable manner as by a metal U shape strap 7 secured by bolts 8 tothe foot board 9 of an automobile and having flexible straps 10 securedthereto and connected by buckles 11. It is apparent that the section 3may, if desired, be removed and the section 1 held to the section 2 bythe corner pieces 5. The section 3, however. gives greater capacity tothe receptacle and enables it to receive camping or other appliances orutensils.

In order to provide the table, each section 1 and 2 is provided with twosupports 12 preferably in the ,form of angle iron pieces pivoted at 13preferably to angle iron pieces 14 which are secured in a top section, aspacing device 15 bein interposed between the leg or support an theangle iron piece 14, so that the leg lies in spaced relation to theadjacent side of the section.

A brace preferably comprising two sections 16 and 17 is pivotallyconnected at 18 to a leg and at 19 to an angle iron piece 14:, thesections in, turn being pivoted together at 20 and one of them beingnotched at 21 so that a laterally turned extension 22 on the other mayoperate in the notch to oo operate with the wall thereof and limit themovement of the brace in one direction, the brace folding in the spacebetween the slde of the leg and adjacent side wall of the top section.

In order to.oo-nnect the two top forming sections together a connectingmeans 1s employed embodying two links 23 and 24, each of which isprovided with a lug 25 and an opening 26, the lug of one link projectinginto the opening of the other llnk as shown in Fig. 9. Each link ispivotally connected at 27 to a leg and the two links are held togetherpreferably by a latch 28 which is pivoted at 29 to the link 24 and has aportion 30 which straddles both links to hold them side by side with theprojection of one in the opening of the other. The two links 23 and 24are horizontally aligned and engage the edges of the two abuttingmembers 1 and 2, so as tosupport the edges at the center, in order tosustain this connecting means between the legs of the two top members.Braces may connect each link of the connecting means with the le towhich the link is pivoted.

lhese braces, in this instance, embody links 16 and 17* pivotallyconnected at 20 to each other and at 18 and 19 to the leg and the linkrespectively. Each link 23 and 24 is preferably spaced from the side ofthe leg to which it is ivoted so that the foldable brace 17 may ereceived between the link and a leg, when the brace and link are folded,as illustrated in Fig. 5.

In collapsing the device from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, thelatches 28 are first shifted to disconnect the two links 23 and 24, thuspermitting the projection on each link to pass from the opening of theother. This separates the table into two parts. The foldable braces 16and 17 are then bent inwardly to swing the links 23 and 24 into parallelrelation with the legs, as

shown in Fig. 5. Thereafter the braces 16 and-17 are folded so that aleg with the connecting link thereon may swing downwardly into the topmember, as illustrated at the forward end of Fig. After all of the legshave been collapsed in this manner, the receptacle is assembled byfitting the frame 3 to the frame 2 and thereafter fitting the frame 1 tothe frame 3, and, if desired, placing in the receptacle any articlebefore the last mentioned member 1 is fitted in place. The straps 10 arethen buckled together. The setting up of the table is accomplished byreversing the above operations.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided acombination table and receptacle in which the receptacle is in the formof separate members. Two members of the receptacle form the top of thetable and are connected together by a connecting means between the twomembers,

menses this connecting means actin to en ort the two members at thecenter 0 the table. The connecting means preferably embodies two linksconnecting a leg on one table with a. leg on the other table, theselinks having in turn braces connecting them with the legs.

What I claim as my invention and closure to, secure by Letters Patentis:

1. The combination with two top sections, legs mounted on each topsection, and means independently of the top sections connecting the legsof one section with the legs of the other section, said means havingprovision for permitting the separation of the two sections.

2. The combination with two top sections, legs connected to each topsection, and means connecting the legs of one to section with the legsof the other top section embodying two links, one ivoted to a leg on onesection and the ot er pivoted to a leg on the other top section andmeans for detachably connecting said links together.

3. The combination with two top sections and legs mounted on the two topsections, of connecting means between the legs on one section and thelegs on the other section embodying a link pivoted to each leg and meansdetachably connecting a link on one section with a link on the othersection.

4. The combination with two top sections and legs mounted on each topsection, of connecting means between the legs of the two top sectionsembodying a link pivoted to each leg, each link having a projection andan opening, the projection on one link on one top section fitting in anopening in a link of the other top section, a pivoted latch mounted onone link and cooperating with the other link to hold the two linkstogether.

5. The combination with two top sections and legs mounted on both topsections, of means connecting the legs of the two sections independentlyof the top sections and acting to support the top sections at the jointbetween them.

6. The combination with two separate box like top sections arranged sideby side, legs mounted to fold in the under side of sad top sections, andmeans connecting the legs of the two sections arran ed to be engaged bythe abutting walls of the two sections.

7. The combination with two separate box like top sections arranged sideby side, legs mounted to fold in the under side of said top sections,and means connecting the legs of the two sections arranged to be engagedby the abutting walls of the two sections, said connecting meansembodying two members detachably connected together and pivotallyconnected to the legs.

8. The combination with two box like top sections arranged side by sidein abutting relation, legs pivotally mounted in the under connecting thelegs of the two sections embodying two members detachably connectedtogether and pivotally connected to the legs.

9. The combination with two box like top sections arranged side by sidein abutting relation, legs pivotally mounted in the under side of saidbox like top sections, and means connecting the legs of the two sectionsembodying two members detachably connected together and pivotallyconnected to the legs, and foldable braces connecting said members withthe legs.

10. The combination with two inverted box like top sections arrangedside by side in abutting relation, two legs pivotally connected to eachtop section to fold in the under side thereof, a folding braceconnecting each leg with its top section, a link pivotally connected toeach leg, means detachably connecting a link on one top section with alink on the other top section so as to support said links in engagementwith the abutting sides of the two top sections, and a foldable braceconnecting each link with a leg to which the link is pivoted.

CHARLES E. TEPPER.

